Item #2659 THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN. Richard Slotkin.
THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN
THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN
THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN
THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN
THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN

THE CRATER; A Novel By RICHARD SLOTKIN

New York: Atheneum, 1980. First Edition. Cloth and boards. Tall 8vo (9 1/2" x 6 1/2"), quarter brown cloth with gilt lettering on spine over black boards, illustrated with 2-pages: Tables of Organization for Army of the Potomac & Army of Virginia / plus 2-pages: Maps of Maryland & Siege of Petersburg, Mylar-protected pictorial dust jacket (unclipped) from Winslow Homer's "Defiance," stained red on page tops by publisher to retard dust soiling, xvi + 558 pages + [2] Note & Richard Slotkin. Fine / Fine. Item #2659
ISBN: 068911107X

EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION: tight, bright, clean with a Fine dj. No remainder marks. A highly exact recreation of this memorable conflict.

The Battle of the Crater was a tragic battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E. Lee, and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Gen. George Meade (under Ulysses S. Grant).

After weeks of tunneling, Union forces exploded a huge mine beneath Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside's IX Corps sector, blowing an enormous crater in the elaborate Confederate defenses of Petersburg. From that hoped for beginning, though, everything deteriorated rapidly for the Union attackers.

Unit after unit charged into and around the crater but lacked means to climb up or extricate themselves from it before Confederate troops rallied and poured volleys into the essentially trapped Union forces. Most tragically, Brig. Gen. Edward Ferrero's division of black soldiers were massacred--largely because they were fighting for the North.

Thereafter, Union soldiers settled in for eight months of trench warfare. Absentee Burnside was relieved of command for his passive role in the debacle. Grant considered the assault "the saddest affair I have witnessed in this war."--adapting Wikipedia.

Price: $35.00

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